A COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY ABOUT LOVE, BUMPS AND ASTROPHYSICS
Mad March Hare Theatre Co and bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company present
ROMEO and JULIE
By Gary Owen
Director: Claudia Barrie
Cast: Estelle Davis, Alex Kirwan, Claudia Barrie, Christopher Stollery, Linda Nicholls-Gidley
Set Design: Geita Goarin
Lighting Design: Topaz Marlay-Cole
Costume Design: Dr Emily Brayshaw
Sound Design: Josh Anderson
Assistant Director: Josh Anderson
Stage Manager: Olivia Riddell
Accent and Dialect Coach: Linda Nicholls-Gidley
Intimacy Co-ordinator: Shondelle Pratt
Associate Producers: Alex Kirwan and Estelle Davis
Presented by: Mad March Hare
Run time: 2 Hours & 20 minutes including interval.
CREATIVE TEAM
CLAUDIA BARRIE DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / CAST
Claudia is a highly experienced multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years experience in the industry. She has worked extensively as a director and actor with numerous theatre companies across Sydney. As a producer, Claudia has also mounted many successful Australian and International plays under the Mad March Company banner. She has developed a strong reputation for bringing exciting productions of an exceptional standard to Sydney stages. Her most recent theatre credits as an actor include; The Big Time (Ensemble Theatre, 2019) and A Doll’s House- Swing Performer (Ensemble Theatre, 2022). Her most recent directing work includes; I and You (Belvoir 25a, 2025) and How to Defend Yourself (Old Fitz, 2022). In 2017 her two productions, Dry Land and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo received a total of 6 Sydney Theatre Award nominations including Best Production and Best Direction of an Independent Production. Her production of The Cripple of Inishmaan (Old Fitz, 2019) received 3 Glug nominations including Best Independent Production. Claudia is also a passionate educator and is regularly employed at universities such as NIDA, WAAPA, ACA and Sydney Actors School as an academic tutor and a theatrical director.
ESTELLE DAVIS CAST / ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Estelle is an Australian born actor, raised and based on Gadigal land. She loves storytelling for its ability to transport the imagination and open the heart; discovering it at an early age through dance, then writing, and landing home as an actor. She is a 2023 WAAPA BA Acting graduate, where she was a finalist for the Peter Hurford Award for Excellence in (Performance) and won the People's Choice Award for the Vice Chancellor's Shakespeare Awards with her fellow cast member Alex. Her stage credits include: Adela in Frantic Muse's production of Federico Garcia Lorca's 'The House of Bernarda Alba' at Flow Studios (dir. Kim Hardwick) and Cobweb in Shakespeare Australia's 'Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies' (dir. Marianne Bragge/Cameron Shook). Since discovering this gem of a play at drama school, Estelle and Alex have always wanted to share their love of it with an audience. Estelle is thrilled to bring this dearly loved, epic story, to the intimate KXT space.
ALEX KIRWAN CAST / ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Alex is an energetic new arrival to the Sydney theatre scene. In 2023 he moved to Sydney after finishing his acting degree at the WAAPA. Alex had his stage debut in Bell Shakespeare’s Henry V as Westmoreland in 2025, directed by Marion Potts, followed closely by the sell-out hit: Fly Girl (Ensemble Theatre). He is a dynamic combination of comedic talent and striking authenticity. Additional theatre credits: Girls Guide to Saving the World, Toby, dir Roisin Wallace-Nash. For WAAPA: Fatherland, dir Shane Anthony. Much Ado About Nothing, dir Clara Voder, Wise Children, dir Adam Mitchell, Three Sisters, dir Glenda Linscott. Short Film Credits: Boy on Fire (Proof of Concept), Blue Soup Productions, dir Alies Slutier. The Last Trip, A Touch of Madness Studios, dir Amanda Dow. Bi Bi Baby, WAAPA/WASA, dir Grey A’Vard.
LINDA NICHOLLS-GIDLEY CAST / ACCENT & DIALECT COACH
Trained as an actor and a theatre voice/accents and dialects specialist, Linda has worked in the Industry for over 25 years. Acting credits include: Rita in Monster, Mummy (understudy) in Gravy, Poncia in The House of Bernarda Alba, Diane/Jeanette in Vickie and Vinnie, Dolores in Misery Loves Company, Anna in The Approach, Veronica in Ladybird Ladybird, Woman 5 in Silenced, and Ann in In Their Footsteps. She played Marge Murray, Judy Shepard and others in The Laramie Project/ The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later for Theatre Travels, Polonius/Stage Manager in Håmlet with Ban Shakespeare at Bondi Feast, Susan in One Way Mirror with Subtlenuance, and she appeared as ‘Coach’ in the independent feature film Zoe.Misplaced. Linda voiced the Ex-Girlfriend in Once at Darlinghurst Theatre Company, and provided multiple character voices for Hyde Park Barracks museum experience. She appeared as a special guest on Channel 72’s science program for children Get Clever.
CHRISTOPHER STOLLERY CAST
Christopher is a graduate of both NIDA and AFTRS. His varied career has included touring the stages of Europe with Cate Blanchett, performing sketch comedy with John Cleese at the Sydney Opera House, a musical with Tim Minchin, the choreography of Meryl Tankard and directing Steve Smith, the Australian Test Cricketer, in a Television Commercial. Christopher was an associate artist with Bell Shakespeare Company for 15 years and 20 productions including the titular role of Hamlet, Mark Antony, Petruchio and Antipholus in The Comedy of Errors (the first Australian Shakespeare production to tour to the UK) He has been nominated for a Green Room Award twice and a Sydney Theatre Award nominee three times. As a writer / director, his short films have won over 30 festival awards around the world including Palm Springs, Aspen and Best Screenplay at Flickerfest. Christopher has also had an extensive television career, most recently in Dear Life which is streaming on Stan and Motel Blue Murder now showing on ABC. Film credits include Predestination, The Rage in Placid Lake, The Nightingale and the forthcoming Tenzing for See-Saw Films and Apple Productions with Willem Defoe and Tom Hiddleston.
GEITA GOARIN SET DESIGN
Geita Goarin is a multidisciplinary designer working in Sydney across theatre and screen. Her practice is grounded in strong collaboration and research, driving the creation of evocative stage images layered with meaning and adaptability. Geita’s NIDA production credits include Production Designer for The Great Theatre of the World, Costume Designer for Alice: Mother of Cinema, and Set Designer for An Octoroon. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design) from NIDA, she has worked as Production Design Realiser on Iphigenia in Splott (Old Fitz), Production Assistant on Koreaboo (Griffin Theatre), Production Designer for Bonny and Read (Qtopia, The Loading Dock) and Gia Ophelia (KXT), and Associate Designer on Sistren (Greendoor Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre).
TOPAZ MARLAY - COLE LIGHTING DESIGN
Topaz Marlay-Cole (she/her) is a lighting designer and theatre technician, who completed her BFA in Technical Theatre and Stage Management at NIDA in 2024. Her lighting design credits include Till the Stars Come Down (KXT on Broadway, 2026), Four Quartets (Late Night Old Fitz, 2026), Monster (KXT on Broadway, 2026), The Girls Guide to Saving the World (Late Night Old Fitz, 2026), The Hairy Ape Development (The Church, 2025), Three Short Plays (Late Night Old Fitz, 2025), The Land of Her Bruce (Sydney Fringe, 2025), Babyteeth (KXT on Broadway, 2025), Heaven (Qtopia, 2025), IRL (KXT on Broadway, 2025), Don’t Save Me (KXT on Broadway, 2025), The Flea (New Theatre, 2025), The Pigeons (KXT on Broadway, 2024), The Cherry Orchard (Old Fitz, 2024) and Atlantis (New Theatre, 2024).
DR EMILY BRAYSHAW COSTUME DESIGN
Dr Emily Brayshaw is a Sydney-based costume designer whose theatre credits include the critically-acclaimed productions, Time Stands Still (2017), You Got Older (2018), The Cripple of Inishmaan (2019), How to Defend Yourself (2022) and Consent (2023). More recently, her work for the 2021 short film, Death Doula, was nominated for Best Costume Design at the 2024 South Australian Screen Awards. In addition to her costume work, Emily holds the position of Honorary Research Fellow at UTS and is internationally recognised for her inter-disciplinary research on the visual culture of fashion and performance costume. In 2024 she was lauded by UTS as one of their top experts whose work and commentary reached more than one million people in 2023. In addition to her costume and academic work, Emily is a viola player, visible mender and knitter and a regular guest speaker on ABC Radio across Australia about fashion and costume history.
OLIVIA RIDDELL STAGE MANAGER / PROPS
Olivia is a 2024 graduate of Sydney Actors School and holds an Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media. Whilst Olivia was studying at Sydney Actors School, she performed in several productions: EVOL, dir Jules Bilington, The 39 Steps, dir Claudia Barrie and Separate Tables, dir Janine Watson & Shane Anthony. Olivia has continued to broaden her skillset since graduating, taking on the role of Stage Manager for this production. (And she has loved every minute of it!) Olivia knew she wanted to be an actor the first time she saw Julie Walters in Mamma Mia!. This was cemented the day she saw the films after party photos.
SHONDELLE PRATT INTIMACY CO-ORDINATOR
Western Sydney artist Shondelle Pratt, is an internationally certified Intimacy Director, Coordinator , pedagogue and Access Coordinator for film theatre and television. With a 30 year career in the arts, Shondelle has worked with Australia's leading theatre companies including Opera Australia, Ensemble Theatre, Force Majeure, Pacific Opera, The Darlinghurst Theatre Company, David Venn Productions, Squabbalogic, Gordon Frost, Disney, Aquarius films, The Really Useful Company, NewTheatricals, GWG Productions, 25A, Mad March Hare Theatre Company, Old Fitz and learning institutions such as the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Actors Centre Australia, JMC Academy and Sydney Actors Studio and Western Sydney University. Her focus is on inclusion, accessibility and knowledge sharing. As an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, director and actor, Shondelle is passionate about the actor’s process when it comes to consent, advocacy and inclusion in sculpting vulnerable storytelling. She is focused on learning programs, rehearsal room and theatre methodologies which are inclusive of artists with lived experiences of divergency and multicultural/ intercultural practices that can be provided to support artists, crew and creatives alike, within the industry. Shondelle is a proud member of MEAA. She lives and works on the lands of the Dharawal People.
JOSH ANDERSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / SOUND DESIGN / ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Josh is a 2012 graduate of NIDA (BFA — Acting). Theatre credits include This Heaven (Belvoir), The Removalists (Critical Stages), The Gruffalo (CDP), Shivered (Mad March Hare Theatre Co), Belleville, Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo and The Cripple Of Inishmaan (Redline), Lost Boys (Merrigong) and Sweeney Todd (New Theatre). His music comedy group has appeared for ABC Comedy and enjoyed sold out runs at Sydney Comedy Festival including Dumb Song Night, Dumb Song Night 2:Back In The Habit, Goodest Hits in 2017 and 2018 at The Giant Dwarf, and Better Than Lego at the Old Fitz in 2019. As a writer/director, Josh is behind Embarrassing Parents Anonymous (independent TV pilot and multi-award winner at Catalyst Content Festival in 2019, SeriesFest 2020, Stareable NYC 2021 and Stareable LA 2022), and Oil On Canvas (selected for Cannes Indie 2024). Josh is the producer behind Embarrassing Parents Anonymous (in development with a local production partner), Privileged (in development The Lonely Island’s production arm, Party Over Here), Death Doula (AFTRS Masters Capstone TV pilot), Oil On Canvas, Love Ya Baby (Official selection FlickerFest 2025) and Baby Seat. Josh has been an active writer of children’s theatre since 2015. Josh is a type 1 diabetic committed to making space for people living with the disability through artistic expression. His new play, Lazarus, was developed in concert with Accessible Arts, Create NSW and Merrigong Theatre Company through the NEXT LEVEL program. The play centres on the invention of insulin, the scientists who fought over it and the ethical conundrum of for-profit healthcare. Josh is the Founder of The Actors Division, an elite acting school for young people aged between 9 and 17. His company is dedicated to educating and uplifting the next generation of artists for Australian and international stages.
THANKYOU
Yves Goarin
Violet Sands
Vincent D'Astoli
Jenni Anderson
Curio Pictures
Andrea Knezevic
Suzanne Millar & John Harrison